Exploring Korean University Students' Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Education

In today's world, having knowledge and skills related to Artificial Intelligence (AI) is essential for diverse university students. As a result, many Korean universities offer AI-related courses as part of their mandatory curriculum. However, designing an AI curriculum that caters to university students requires considering the previous experiences and perspectives of AI convergence education. Thus, navigating the perceptions of AI convergence education among Korean university students not majoring in computers is important. To achieve this goal, an online survey was conducted during the 2023 summer from various departments at C University in Korea (n=177). Survey results indicate that Korean universities showed an awareness of the personal implications of AI concerning their academic discipline and careers. Also, they recognize the importance of AI education regardless of their current majors at the university. In addition, survey results also revealed the presence or absence of prior AI educational experiences significantly affected the perceived importance of AI convergence education. However, students without prior AI exposure could struggle to take AI courses in liberal arts because they are not well equipped and prepared to take those mandatory courses. The study has the novelty and uniqueness in that future studies will receive valuable insights for constructing AI convergence education that caters to diverse university students in higher education.